DISCLAIMER: I do not own BLEACH! Tite Kubo does and I ENVY him for it! Hahahaha! This is my 2nd BLEACH fanfiction and I hope you guys like this. The names of my OCs are somewhat the same. HAHHAHA! If you've been following my stories, you'd notice I use the same names…like CLAMP does with their characters. Anyway, don't mix things up! They're not the same people. This is a NEW fic and REFRESH your minds…empty them and join me as we discover what lies ahead -
CHAPTER ONE: SECRETS
The sun rose early that day and the 3rd division's vice captain ran out of her apartment in haste knowing that if she once more arrive late, her superior will not like it in the least. She has been giving lots and lots of reasons for days now – from helping old people to saving cat spirits… And knowing her captain, she's probably at her limit. She used shunpo and arrived just in the nick of time. She fixed her uniform outside her captain's office and took a minute to catch her breath. "Here we go…" She knocked twice and said in a cheerful sing-sang voice, "It's me, Oe-taicho! I'm coming in!" She opened the door and was smiling quite brightly when it faded. No one is in the room. A fellow shinigami passed by the hallway.
"Ah! Odashima-fukotaicho! Oe-taicho called in sick today!" A small man with a bald head informed as he ushered several documents to a nearby table.
"MOU! And just when I decided to be on time!" She pouted and went to her officer. She slumped herself on the comfortable seat and sighed. Lazily, she checked the table for documents and realized that she has finished all the pending files that were sent yesterday. "And now what! No one to talk to. No one to annoy…" She tapped her fingers on the desk and immediately stood up. "I'm going out! Hajime!" The bald officer poked his head into the office. "I'm leaving for a few hours. I'm finished with paperwork and I'm leaving you in charge." In a rush, she didn't give Hajime any time to respond.
Ever since the Winter War ended, it has been boring. It's not that Fuko Odashima – the current vice captain of the third division, wanted war. It's just too silent for her taste. No one has been sent to Karakura town for 3 years now. She has had the pleasure of visiting the real world back when she was just a low ranking shinigami-in-training and when the rebellion arose. Yes, she longs to go back. What with all the cute and colorful stuff that has caught her eyes. She has a personal shrine in her apartment just for the things she brought back from the small city.
As she trudged along the streets of Sereitei, she saw Abarai Renji, the 5th Division Captain. She immediately called for the captain. "Abarai-taicho!" She trotted and stopped in front of the redhead.
"Ah! Odashima-fukotaicho. You're…not with Oe-taicho?" Renji looked about for the 3rd division captain. "Where is she?"
"Sick. I'm on my way to take a look at her." Fuko grinned.
"Skipping work?" Renji knew well enough. He used to skip paperwork himself back when he was still a vice captain.
"I finished my work yesterday." Fuko answered a matter-of-factly. They walked side by side. "How is your division these days, taicho? I heard you've been training them hard."
Renji shrugged. "There is nothing much to do in these peaceful times. The only one busy is Soifon-taicho." He sighed. "Been training them hard to prepare them for battle if there's to be a sudden attack. We'll never know…"
"I see. That's good…" Fuko smiled and looked about before asking, "Uhm…is…Hisagi-taicho okay?"
Renji raised a brow at that. "Shuhei is fine…" He looked curiously at the blushing young vice captain. "So you like Shuhei?"
Fuko blushed like a tomato. "NO!" She pouted.
"Yes you do…" Renji teased, laughing.
"NO I DON'T!" Fuko shouted.
"You don't what?"
Fuko immediately hid behind the tall redhead as she was now 2 times redder than before. Right in front of them stood Hisagi Shuhei carrying a sack of rice and topless in that manner. "I…I don't…I don't…"
Shuhei chuckled at the weird reaction. "What's up, Odashima-fukotaicho? Are you well?" He looks at the young girl curiously. "You look at little…troubled…"
Renji held his laughter and helped the young vice captain. "She's fine. We're on our way to visit Oe-taicho."
Fuko stood straight and stared at Renji. "We are?"
"Yes, we are." Renji answered, grinning.
"But I thought you're on your way to the training grounds?" Fuko asked in confusion. She stopped and already forgot about her embarrassment.
"There's got to be something else than being sick. Heh! Besides, I heard from Kyoraku-taicho last night that Ukitake-taicho's visiting Oe-taicho today…" Renji grinned. "You hear a lot of things when you visit the bar, Odashima-chan…"
"Things like?" Fuko's curiosity was peaked. She saw Renji motion his hands as if to say, so and so. "So you're saying my taicho isn't sick?"
Renji gave off a knowing smile. "Nope. I'll just be passing by and then I'll go to the training grounds."
"If my taicho's not sick, then why didn't she work?" Fuko continued asking more to herself than to the two tall men. "It's unthinkable that she'd let something as a visit prevent her from going to work? Besides, Ukitake-taicho can always visit her in the office."
Hisagi smiled. "Odashima-fukotaicho…"
Fuko was once more reminded of the presence of Hisagi Shuhei. "Uh…hai, Hisagi-taicho…?"
"There might be little reason for Oe-taicho to miss work…but one of them should include important occasions." Hisagi explained as the three of them walk closer to a courtyard surrounded by high walls. He has left the sack of rice with one of his men before they went off leaving the main street earlier.
"Is it Oe-taicho's birthday?" Fuko asked excitedly. The two men shook their heads with a smile. "Aw come on, guys… Why can't you tell me?" She groaned.
Shinryu Oe, the 2nd daughter of the 3rd Regent of Sereitei paced about the gardens, worried. There is more than her paperwork at stake in her current situation and even though she knows well that pacing about won't help much, she indulged herself in an action that might give her calmness even for just a few minutes. After having accomplished her dream of being a shinigami captain and having to do it in less time than most of her comrades, she is now faced with a problem.
She has a secret. Not many in the Oe Household even know about this secret…let alone people outside their walls. Shinryu Oe has a son.
"Oka-sama!"
Shin's worries immediately vanished as her son ran to her. "Ryuushiro." She called and opened her arms for the boy to be enveloped. "I miss you so…" It has been a month since the boy was sent to her mother. Being in the Gotei 13, her time with her son was cut off and she doesn't want Ryuushiro to be alone. So, she scheduled for Ryuushiro to be with her mother every other month so as not to interfere with her work. "Have you been a good boy?"
The handsome silver-hair boy beamed at her mother. His long pigtail behind him swung to and fro as he hugged his mother ecstatically. "I am always good, Oka-sama." He chuckled as his mother tickled him. "WAhahahahaha! Oka-sama! Oka-sama! Yamette kudasai! Hahhaah!"
Shin carried her son up and snuggled him. "Gomen, neh… Okasan is very busy."
Ryuushiro kissed his mother on the cheek. "It's okay, Oka-sama. I understand."
"Shinryu-sama."
The voice of her attendant took her attention. She turned to see the captain of the 13th division standing behind the servant. Her heart began beating fast immediately. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Ukitake-taicho…"
Jyuushiro Ukitake was then motioned to go and enter the garden. He can see the boy in the 3rd captain's arms. He smiled. "Oe-taicho." He greeted when he's but 2 steps away from the woman.
Shin really doesn't know what to say. It wasn't her idea to invite the man into their house. It was her father's. She almost groaned at the thought. She was about to strike a conversation when her son beat her to it.
"We have the same hair." Ryuushiro laughed and reached out for the 13th captain's long tresses.
"Indeed we have." Jyuushiro chuckled. He thought it would be impossible for him to visit the Oe Household in his lifetime. There has been a lot of misunderstandings and mistakes that it seemed out of the question to visit this courtyard. But he is now standing here. It was all thanks to Kyoraku, he thought. Well, technically…it was a problem that his bestfriend started after all…
"Oka-san…who is he?" Ryuushiro pointed at the tall man with silver hair like him.
Shin feels like hyperventilating. She smiled nervously and kissed Ryuushiro. "Now, now… Since you've just arrived, I want you to go and take a nap. When you're awake, I'll tell you everything. Okay?"
Ryuushiro frowned at first but chuckled when his mother kissed him in his ticklish area. "Alright, Oka-sama." He kissed his mother and as soon as he was brought on the ground, he ran towards his attendant. After a few moments, they were gone.
Jyuushiro smiled. "I see that you've taken him as your own. I am very grateful."
Shin gritted her teeth. "He is mine, Ukitake-taicho." She looked about making sure that there is no one in sight. "My sister died giving birth to Ryu…I raised him. Ryuushiro is my son." She said in a very serious tone.
"I am sure your father has already told you why I'm here today." Jyuushiro replied.
"If you're here to take him away from me, then you have to kill me first, Ukitake-taicho." Shin replied without humor. "My son will stay with me. No matter how many times father talks about me having to share Ryu with you…I will never consent to that."
This troubled Jyuushiro. "He is my son too, Oe-taicho."
"No, he's not." Shin replied. This time, she has lost all sense of holding back. "You've impregnated my sister, went off and left her without saying anything… What makes you think I'll consent to you being MY son's father! You who can't even walk out of your division for so long or fight…you can't give my son a proper life!"
Jyuushiro himself lost control at such heavy accusations. Years of holding back the damn of emotions broke. "Your sister did not tell me she's pregnant! She disappeared and never even sent back the letters I sent her! It was your father who informed me of this knowing that I was not to be blamed! I was protecting the realm and you know it! And you, Oe-taicho… No matter how much you push the fact that you raised him, named him even… You are not my son's mother!" He immediately realized his mistake and was sorry for it. He could see the woman's eyes filled with tears. He hates seeing women cry. "I..gomen…I didn't mean to…"
Shin wiped her tears immediately. "You come into my home and mock me? I might not be his biological mother… But I raised him. I am the only mother he knows and cherishes! You can't take him away! I won't let you!"
Jyuushiro closed his eyes and took deep breaths. He stared at the woman in front of him and marveled at how she resembled his deceased betrothed. "Oe-taicho… It is clear that you were not informed properly as to why I'm here…" He stared at the woman who is standing firm and glaring at him. "I was requested by your father to give you a proposal."
"Proposal of what?" Shin asked, still very angry.
Jyuushiro swallowed hard. "Of Marriage."
Fuko Odashima, Abarai Renji and Hisagi Shuhei seated themselves in the receiving room of the large mansion. Their eyes looked about, no one seems to want to start a conversation. They were too overwhelmed by the furnishings. A few minutes later, a servant appeared and informed them that they should leave.
"Did you tell her it's her vice captain?" Fuko asked.
"Yes, my lady. By Shinryu-sama is now currently talking to someone. I'm afraid that Lord Oe wants her uninterrupted." The servant bowed sincerely. "I will inform her of your visit."
As the three of them exited the front doors, Fuko snorted. "Something important, huh? What could it be? I'm itching to know…" She gave the two men a grin that says, 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' Without a word, the three walked to the other wall making sure no one's watching. They climbed up and found themselves atop the roof overlooking the gardens.
"And…there she is…" Fuko pointed out at the figure walking out of a vine canopy followed by the 13th Division captain. "And…Ukitake-taicho?" She turned to the two males who are grinning.
"Just as I thought." Renji chuckled. "I won the bet, Shuhei. I told you Ukitake's after Oe-taicho…"
Shuhei snorted. "You only said that because Kyoraku-taicho said so… And it doesn't count." He crossed his arms in front of him. "I'm not paying. You cheated."
Renji rolled his eyes. "Whatever…"
Fuko shook her head. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Odashima-fukotaicho… Ukitake-taicho is wooing your captain." Hisagi Shuhei explained.
Fuko immediately laughed out loud. "Ahahahah! Oh guys… Ukitake-taicho's in it for sure. Captain doesn't want weak men. She hates spineless idiots and adores warfare. You think Ukitake-taicho has a chance?"
Renji smiled. "Ahh…chibi-chan… Ukitake-taicho might not be all macho and stuff like that but you forgot one thing… He's one of the two oldest captains that never left the Gotei 13 hundreds of years ago… If that's not strong, I don't know what is…" He shrugged.
"It's true." Hisagi added. "I sparred with him once. I can't even touch a hair. He's a master of Shunpo and in a different league than us. He's also very intelligent." Hisagi paused for a while and looked at the girl. "Don't tell me you guys only want macho types… In that case…" He jokingly posed a masculine stance. "I'm macho!"
Fuko didn't know how to react. Is he trying to tell me something? Her mind ran amok. But, she shook her head and once more turned her attention to the garden. "Let's listen then."
Jyuushiro followed a few steps behind. "I am very serious, Oe-taicho. Please, think about it. It's for the good of your son…" He paused. "…our son."
Fuko's eyes bulged at what she heard. She turned either side and saw the two men gawking. Taicho has a son! WITH UKITAKE-TAICHO! Her mind can't take any more information for one day.
"It can't be…" Renji whispered unbelievingly. "Ukitake-taicho is actually THAT bad?" He gave the other officers a shocked look.
A/N: Can someone please REVIEW? PRETTY PLEASE?